"The program can be life changing"

I recently attended a Pulmonary Rehab program at Arbroath Saltire Centre - this program was my second time, having previously attended one in 2009.

For me the Program can be life changing for many who attend one. You learn how to control your condition instead of it controlling you. Your level of fitness increases which improves your quality of life.

On this particular program  everyone's fitness improved dramatically which was down to the fitness routine and the encouraging staff. The various talks given during the program included on how take of yourself, how to use your in halers and identify flare ups and how to deal with them.

This is of a tremendous value as it helps keep you out of hospital which can only be a good thing for the NHS. Talks also included coping mentally with your condition, healthy choices with regard to diet, welfare rights and travel advice.

On completion of a Pulmonary Rehab. program we were all better off both in fitnes as the final walk test proved. Improved feeling of well-being and better equipped how to take care of ourselves.

To those within the NHS in Tayside the provision of Pulmonary Rehab is a no-brainer, as the comparison costs of holding such a program far outweighs that of hospital care costs and bed days of a hospitalised Respiratory patient. What we need is more Pulmonary Rehab programs as there are around 200 people in Angus alone waiting to go on these programs and not to provide this valuable care is injust as everyone as a right to Rehab and deserves a better quality of life.

Let's return to the high quality and quanity of care we used to have when I did my first Pulmonary Rehab Program.

I'd like to personally thank the staff involved in my Program - Evie our Physiotherapist, Dierde, Iona, Pauline and Lyn our Respiratory Nurses and the various presenters who gave the informative talks. 

Let us have more Pulmonary Rehab Programs throughout Angus.